University of Colorado Program

Ophthalmology Analyst Verified · May 7, 2025

University of Colorado Program

University of Colorado Program is a residency program specializing in Ophthalmology, located in Aurora, Colorado, directed by Monica Ertel, MD, PhD and coordinated by Gaylian Howard.. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at [email protected] or (720) 848-5029. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

The University of Colorado Ophthalmology Residency is a university-based academic program serving as the region's only academic eye center for the Rocky Mountain area, combining a required internal medicine intern year with three years of ophthalmology training across a diverse hospital network (Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, VA, Denver Health, Children's Hospital Colorado). The program emphasizes high surgical volume (cataract numbers well above national average) with graded autonomy under attending supervision, supported by a dedicated ophthalmic hospitalist that is unusual nationally. Research infrastructure is substantial and multidisciplinary, spanning CellSight stem cell/regeneration science, an AI/oculomics division, ophthalmic epidemiology registries (AMD, ROP), and the Cochrane Eyes and Vision US Satellite, with over half of graduates pursuing subspecialty fellowships. The program appears to value residents who can handle broad clinical responsibility across safety-net (Denver Health, VA) and tertiary academic settings while engaging with active investigative programs.

Who it fits

An applicant who has demonstrated strong surgical/clinical volume orientation alongside genuine research engagement (bench, translational, or epidemiologic) and who is targeting subspecialty fellowship training after residency, fits this program's dual emphasis on high-volume operative training and structured academic investigation.

Research intensity

Strong - research is not merely available but deeply embedded across multiple divisions (CellSight, AI/oculomics, epidemiology, Cochrane), with structured mentorship pathways for residents, fellows, and students.

Career orientation

Mixed - Fellowship, Academic Medicine

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